Microchip Technology brings ultra-small SOT-23 package options to operational amplifier portfolio

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, April 18, 2005

Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MCHP), a provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, has announced it offers single-supply, rail-to-rail input/output, low-power operational amplifiers (op amps) in space-saving 5-pin SOT-23 packages that operate over a variety of bandwidths ranging from 10 kHz to 10 MHz. The SOT-23 package saves board space and simplifies the design, making these devices ideal for battery-powered portable applications.

Microchip is one of the few suppliers offering SOT-23 packages across this wide bandwidth range. This allows engineers to select the proper amplifier to optimize bandwidth-to-current consumption tradeoffs for improved performance. These op amps are also pin compatible, so that users can easily adjust amplifier bandwidth as design needs change, providing a clear migration path to select the proper bandwidth versus supply current tradeoff. The variety of available bandwidths, low power, and small packages make these devices suitable for a wide range of applications where space and power are critical.

With small-package op amp solutions, Microchip continues to expand into the portable market space, where high-precision analog is required in a space-saving form factor and at a competitive price. In addition to op amps, Microchip makes a variety of complementary products available in SOT-23 packages, including successive approximation analog-to-digital converters (MCP3021, MCP3221), microprocessor system supervisors, low-dropout regulators and serial EEPROMs.

Potential applications for the SOT-23 op amps include any application requiring signal conditioning, buffering, amplification or filtering, such as portable equipment, automotive subsystems, photodiode preamps, computer notebooks, PDAs and battery-powered equipment.

The rail-to-rail inputs/outputs increase the dynamic range and maximize overall performance, which is especially critical for low-voltage applications. Select SOT-23 op amps feature an extended industrial temperature range of -40 degrees Celsius to 125 degrees Celsius, low operating voltage down to 1.4 volts, and a chip-select pin, which further reduces power consumption when not in use.

To help speed the design process, Microchip provides the FilterLab Active Filter Software Design tool and SPICE Macro Models at no cost from the company's Web site. The FilterLab tool simplifies active filter design and gives users full schematic diagrams of the filter circuit with component values and displays the frequency response, all of which make designing variable filters utilizing op amps easier. With the SPICE Macro Models, Microchip enables engineers to complete analog simulation and modeling through a number of sophisticated libraries.

All SOT-23 op amps are available today for sampling and volume production. Selected device pricing in 10,000-unit quantities is: $0.17 each for the MCP6001, $0.19 each for the MCP6231 and $0.39 each for the MCP6293. See Microchip's Web site for complete details on all SOT-23 op amps, or contact any Microchip sales representative or authorized Microchip distributor around the world.